Glory Gone
by ServanttotheTallest
Summary: A present-day rendition of the first four chapters of the book of Samuel, for my Bible class. I hope you like it! :)


**Hi, there! This was an assignment for my senior Bible class where we had to write a present-day rendition of Samuel 1-4. I decided I wanted to do the best I could, and chose a unique POV so my teacher wouldn't skim over it with all the others. I hope you enjoy and let me know if anything is inaccurate-I did this in one day.**

* * *

The door was heavy. He pushed against it, skirting around the thick, wooden surface, and out into the passageway. The traces of perfume lingering on his clothing mixed with the stifling odor of cigarettes from the room across the hall, turning his stomach. He glanced once at the door he'd just shut, thinking how irate his wife would be. In his mind's eye, he saw her distorted figure propped on the couch at home, strained voice ordering the most random foods, yelling at him for no good reason, demanding an explanation as to why he hadn't been home by midnight.

The door to the stairwell was light and hollow by comparison. His cell phone chimed aggravatingly as he began to descend. Digging it out, he clenched his jaw at the caller ID and punched the receive button. "What?" he snapped.

"Phin...I'm sorry to call this late, but it's important."

"Our definitions of 'important' are very different, dad. Just tell me- I don't have time for this." Oh, but he had all the time in the world. Midnight was nothing.

His father's voice paused. When he spoke again, the insistence took Phin somewhat aback. "I know what you're doing."

_Respond. Naively? He's the pastor- he sees right through his own son. Defensively? What is there to defend? …Evasively. _"What I do is none of your business!" Trying to match Eli's imperative tone.

"I called to warn you to get your priorities straight," Eli insisted, forcing his voice back onto the line.

Vehemence. "Dad, I don't NEED you to preach at me right now, all right? It's two in the morning, for heaven's sake!" In the lobby now, he watched the dark windows at the building's entrance, approached them, saw his own hollow, hungry eyes staring back at him.

"_Welcome…"_

"…Fine. I just wanted to say I care about you, and…call me when you can. Obviously, you've chosen to put Him on the back burner, and there's nothing I can say to change your mind anymore. It's your decision." _Click._

The cold, outside air nipped at his face and arms as he stepped through the automatic doors. Lonely cars zipped by, lights flashing intermittently. He knew no one would see him here, recognize him, report back to his wife... _Dad's such a sham. _His mind shot out for something to accuse, to direct his building anger towards. _He preaches to me about righteousness, yet he can't even get his lazy bum out of bed and run off some of those extra hundred pounds? All hail the 'great leader of God's flock!' Behold, church, as they cart him in on a hospital gurney!_

They were both useless- the pregnant broad, his holier-than-thou patron. Neither had lived up to their roles, the examples they should have been for him. Even that perfect little half-brother of his acted like he was better than everyone. Eli favored him, the little runt-Sam-more than either of his two actual sons, because he actually followed the Bible.

_Why even attempt to play the part when it's useless? None of us can keep the law perfectly._

Hophni agreed with him, he knew. Last night's church dinner out had taken the cake- almost quite literally. It had been a fundraiser for an African mission team, and, quite frankly, no one suspects a pastor's son if he inspects the offering basket; in fact, no one eyes him strangely if he suddenly moves said basket, or even makes an unannounced exit without intimating his next destination, certainly not a lottery ticket machine or the drugstore. Hophni had perfected the art of smooth exits.

Phin had picked her up at that dinner, actually. Her face shone in his mind's eye, accompanied by another pang he refused to acknowledge. Her voice rang in his head, sweet and torturous.

"_Welcome."_

She'd said her parents weren't home- on vacation or something. He'd first seen her one morning at the church, while walking through the same entrance he had every other day of his life… the same, except she'd just been hired. Fourteen, or fifteen- he couldn't remember- her perfume had been too overwhelming when she'd told him just a few minutes ago; but he remembered her voice that first time, and again at the dinner, as she held open the door for him…and once more tonight, when he'd slunk into the building much more quickly, only an hour ago.

"_Welcome."_

It didn't take him long- Phin knew the persuasive words that stroked hungry little egos like hers. This wasn't his first rodeo…and it wasn't the first time Eli had pestered him, either. Constantly. It drove him mad. Wasn't having the other One within him enough of a lecture without having his father join in the condemnation, too? _Ignore it. Ignore…_

_There's no use._

Phin gritted his teeth violently, mentally screaming at the Voice to be quiet. _It's already done. Are you satisfied? I am…and that's more than I could ever say under You._

The _No_ that followed unexpectedly chilled Phin to his bones, just a moment before blue pierced the darkness. He flinched, then chastised himself for doing so.

…_What the…? _Red and blue. Blue and red. Flashing. He cursed audibly and turned to sprint towards the other end of the lot, only to see another squad car rolling down that entrance as well.

"_I know what you're doing."_

Realization brought more profanities spewing from him as strange arms grabbed his own, as voices droned, radios beeped, and lights flashed, as he wrenched futilely against their grip, finally catching sight of his own mangled reflection in the back window, looking past himself, seeing an all-too-familiar face that he knew wouldn't be pulling any more theatric disappearances for a good, long while.

The car door handle was cold. He knew the minor rape penalty. A third inner voice, more chilling than His, cut through Phin's thoughts- familiar; in fact, the same one that had pushed him through the door just an hour ago…anguish threatened to consume Phin's entire being as he tried to block out the ugly, gleeful voice, the lingering perfume on his shirt, the Scriptures drilled word for word into him from birth that sprang forth like grasshoppers to torment him now.

"_Welcome."_

* * *

**Please review! :)**_  
_


End file.
